Parishes fast for church

Twenty-eight parishes and one deanery held a national day of prayer and fasting on Oct. 26 at the request of Essentials Council to pray that General Synod reverse same-sex blessings and to ask for a return to biblical orthodoxy for the Anglican Church of Canada.

Canon Charlie Masters, Essentials director, said that the light participation was because of short notice.

The brochure, titled A Call to Prayer for a Church in Crisis suggested a 24-hour fast ending with a worship service, and was mailed to all 1,700 parishes in Canada.

The churches registered on the Essentials Web site to participate were scattered across the country in the Yukon, Toronto, North Bay, Saint John, Winnipeg, Hamilton, Calgary, Fredericton, Saskatoon, Prince Albert deanery, Vancouver, Victoria, and Yellowknife.

?It?s not a huge number,? Mr. Masters said. ?But we know lots of others were doing it.?

The brochure gave suggestions for the 24-hour period including confessions and repentance, prayers for national leadership, and the local diocese, the parish, ministry and leadership of Essentials.

Mr. Masters is rector of St. George?s, Lowville and St. John?s, Nassagaweya in the diocese of Niagara, as well as part-time national director for Essentials.

In an interview, Chris Ambidge, leader of the Christian gay rights group Integrity, said, ?I?m very glad they were praying. Any call to Christians to gather together and place themselves in the presence of God is a good thing.?

He added: ?As a gay man it?s a little discouraging to be seen as the probable downfall of the church. I think the gospel is much stronger than that.?

Mr. Masters said the initiative was more than prayer for reversal of a motion. ?We are praying for renewal and revival in the church.?